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LA Clippers vs. Detroit Pistons: Preview, How to Watch, and Betting Info

The Clippers are looking to follow Thanksgiving with a win over Detroit at home

Author:
Joey Linn
Publish date:
Nov 26, 2021 9:45 AM EST

The LA Clippers have hit a bit of a skid, dropping three of their last four contests. Despite the recent stretch of losses, the Clippers still sit at 10-8, which is currently good for 5th in the Western Conference. The team's defense has been their only constant, and it has kept them afloat while the offense has struggled.

The Clippers have a date scheduled with the Detroit Pistons on Friday afternoon, which presents an opportunity to bolster those defensive metrics. As the Clippers found out against the New Orleans Pelicans, there are no easy opponents in the NBA; however, this Detroit team has struggled mightily to begin the season.

Only two teams have a worse point differential than Detroit to begin the season, and they are the Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic. After winning the lottery and selecting Cade Cunningham, the Pistons are trending in the right direction in terms of roster construction; however, they are not yet in a place where that is going to translate to many wins. The rebuild is still young in Detroit, and they are at least one more year away from thinking about the playoffs.

With all of that being said, and as bad as Detroit has been, they fight hard. This is a team that plays the right way. It is important to always remember that organizations may want to lose games for tanking purposes, but the players on the floor are playing to win. This could not be more evident in first-overall pick Cade Cunningham. While the rookie is experiencing the growing pains that are natural to every young player, he carries himself in a way that expects excellence. His brand of basketball is focused on winning, and that makes Detroit unlike other teams at the bottom of the standings.

This is a reality the Clippers must be aware of. Coming off of Thanksgiving, it could potentially be easy to glance at the schedule and overlook this game against the Pistons in preparation for Sunday's marquee matchup with Golden State. If the Clippers do that, they could be in trouble. If the proper focus is given to this game, then it is certainly one the Clippers should win. Their stellar defense combined with Detroit's poor offense should create a distinct advantage for the Clippers; however, it's one they must be intentional about exploiting.

With Marcus Morris and Serge Ibaka back in the rotation for the Clippers, the only absences are Kawhi Leonard and Jason Preston who are out with injuries, Keon Johnson who is in the G-League, and Nicolas Batum who is in health and safety protocols.